In the world of Magick, as well as the realm of life, the energy we send out comes back to us in some form and manifestation; this is the common belief of most Magickal Traditions and, indeed, most Pagans believe this in some form of ideology. Some that I know believe not in Karma but more of a, "What comes around, goes around," type of philosophy. These philosophies are opposites of one another, in that the latter is more, "What you send to me, I'll give you back in spades" kind of mentality, rather than the more tolerant saying that "What you put out, is what you get back." My pages concerning Witches' Laws and Witches' Credes are more specific on this subject.
Within these next pages, we will be looking at energy in many of its variant forms. We will begin by having a look into Positive energy and how it helps to manifest our dreams, motivations, and future goals. I can hear the collective eyebrow rising at that statement, so I will follow through with it in the second installment of this endeavor. I will then look at Negativity and how it helps to destroy the Magick we create as well as how it is helpful in opening our eyes to new things and realities. We will then look at what some people refer to as the world of "Gray Energy;" where positive meets negative and show the good and bad points of this type of energy as well. We will then look at individual energy work for magickal and mundane purposes, and follow up by a look into group energy work. This will be both in the concepts of Covens and Temples vs. Solitary work. I will attempt to show that you do not have to be physically with someone to connect to the energy webs that connect us all.
What is this energy web? It is a web that binds us to one another. Without this web our prayers, chants, mantras and spells would have no effect on anyone but ourselves. We all know that when we interact with people we effect them in some fashion. But, that is not completely true either. We have all met people who - no matter what we did, we could not draw a response from them. Why? Because their understanding of whom they are is either above our own understanding of who we are or below ours. What we have to teach or learn does not ring true with them and vice versa, so they just do not respond to us. There are many levels to the energy web that connects all things. It doesn't just connect humans, but Nature as well. Even rocks have an energy vibration that can effect the flow of the web.
This silvery web is sometimes called the "Astral Highway" or the "collective conscious." It connects us to those around us today, as well as to those who were around us in past lives. It also helps to guide those same people whose lessons we have yet to learn or teach back to us. This web is what allows us to reach into our minds and redevelop skills that we once had, both as individual entities in past lives, and as a race of beings who have lost all knowledge of their origins. Somewhere, in that web, is the knowledge!
This web collects all of the energy we use and all the memories we have left behind. They are there for the taking and the gathering. If we could just reach out and harness them without having to work at it, that would be nice. But, we must be careful in how we do that. For everything we do effects this web. We effect not just those around us but those who know those around us and the people that they know and ... like that.
The best way to describe this is the 6th degree of separation that became so popular connecting Kevin Bacon back to other actors in movies they performed. The idea is that you could connect say Kevin Bacon and another star through the actors of only 6 movies. The truth can be also said for everyone in the world in some form. Varying degrees of separation that effect us all in one way or another. It is this idea of togetherness that allows for energy work in the first place. It is also this idea of togetherness that has spawned this work you are reading. To me it is very important to realize why you interact and react to certain people. Even why you break ties with them. It is important to look at not just your perception of things but others' perceptions as well.
The theory of the collective conscious is as such...Collective consciousness is a mode of awareness that emerges at the first transpersonal stage of consciousness, when our identities expand beyond our individual egos. A crucial capacity that accompanies this awareness is the ability to intuitively sense and work with the interactions between our and others’ energy fields; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. For example, just as Gene Rodenberry imagined a future where Star Trek's Spock could “mind meld” with others, more of us are now becoming aware of our capacity not only to intuit each other’s thoughts and emotions, but also to consciously think and create together without communicating through our five senses. Further, it is believed and explained in this theory, that all past life memories, skills, societies, and civilizations are right there in the collective consciousness for any of us to tap into.
Our personal psychology is just a thin skin, a ripple on the ocean of collective psychology. The powerful factor, the factor which changes our whole life, which changes the surface of our known world, which makes history, is collective psychology, which moves according to laws entirely different from those of our [individual] consciousness.
- Carl Jung, often quoted [this passage especially]. Often spoken of throughout the psychiatry/psychology communities as the "feeling man's Tao."
It is paramount for us, as Magick Users, to keep a positive spin on ourselves and our lives. Everything we do can affect someone close to us, and those close to them like ripples in a huge pond. The Collective Conscious is the pond. Each of us as individuals are the stones cast.
As example, geryn has a friend who has had a lifetime of unfortunate events. This friend is on medications and probation as a direct result. His life seemed to have hit another downward spiral and the friends of the friend were content to sit by and allow his life's events to entertain them. geryn began talking to him; befriended him and brought him into Oour home. Just as geryn could have joined the flock and laughed as this man fell, I could have quite easily said, "No, this isn't happening," and geryn would have found something else for the friend. But because I maintained a positive attitude towards geryn's assistance of the friend and geryn maintained a positive attitude in his assistance of the friend, the friend now has his own place, has just had the electricity turned on in his name for the first time in his life, and is well on his way to success as an individual. He has $300 more to pay to his probation officer and then he'll be free. Free of the system, that is.
geryn is also helping his friend with the emotional problems he experiences. He has been committed and treated with electric shock and heavy doses of tranquilizers, stabilizer drugs, and anti-psychotics. The friend is on nothing stronger than Prozac and has weaned himself off of it, as this is being written. His doctor has agreed to review his case and officially release him from treatment should he find that the friend is coping well. He is learning anger management techniques from both geryn and I, and he is utilizing them as needed with a remarkable degree of confidence and dedication to being well and whole.
In thinking positively, by geryn, Myself AND the friend, the friend is now Oour friend; not just geryn's. He is viable, determined, motivated, and is now on his way to legal, financial, and personal success...thanks to positive energies. I look forward to seeing how well he's done in six months.
So the next time you're wondering why the spell you cast failed? Ask yourself... Did you throw positive energy after negative then negative energy after Positive? Is there something in that area that you have yet to learn? Or perhaps you have a situation which is causing you a problem that is effecting your attitude and/or your relationships with others. All of these things not only affect Higher Magick, but the Ritual Magick you may attempt while in this state. We must first understand the web and how we affect it before we begin to try change, manipulate, use or work with it.
I hope this endeavor assists you in understanding how to achieve this safely.
CONTINUE.
